Ortega Declares End of Elections in Nicaragua
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced on Sunday that his country will no longer hold elections, accusing the United States of backing opposition forces to seize power. The 80-year-old leader made the declaration during a speech at a ceremony marking the 46th anniversary of the 1979 Sandinista revolution.
Ortega stated, "There won't be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power." He added, "The days when parties backed by the Yankees and the Somocistas would return to power are over – never again," according to Reuters.
Ortega's Consolidation of Power
Ortega, a self-described Marxist, has been in power continuously since 2007. His initial return to office followed elections that the international community questioned. He previously served as president from 1985 to 1990 after the Sandinista National Liberation Front helped topple US-backed dictator Anastasio Somoza.
In recent years, his administration has moved to consolidate control. The 2021 presidential election drew widespread condemnation after the government detained opposition figures ahead of the vote. More than 300 people were killed during a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018, drawing sharp international criticism. Since then, hundreds of Nicaraguans have had their citizenship revoked, and many others have fled the country to avoid imprisonment.
UN Accuses Regime of Serious Abuses
Last year, Nicaragua extended the presidential term to six years, and Ortega's wife, Rosario Murillo, was formally named co-president. The United Nations Human Rights Council has accused the couple of running a repressive regime, saying that government officials have played direct roles in "arbitrary detentions, torture, extrajudicial executions [and the] persecution of civil society and the media."
Ortega has also turned against many of his former revolutionary comrades within the Sandinista movement, detaining several who once stood alongside him in the fight against Somoza.
Nicaragua's Migrants Flee
Legit.ng earlier reported that Jose Galeano, a 35-year-old former veterinary medicine graduate, is joining thousands of Nicaraguans fleeing the second poorest country in Latin America. He took out a loan secured against his house and paid people smugglers to help him begin an odyssey he hopes will end in the United States, having worked as a farmhand, a gardener, and a laborer.
